The invention is related generally to power-driven conveyor belts and, more particularly, to modular plastic conveyor belts made of modules welded together side to side.
As shown in FIG. 1, modular plastic conveyor belts are typically constructed of a series of rows 10 of belt modules 12 arranged end to end and side by side in a bricklay pattern. Hinge pins 14 received in interleaved hinge eyes 16 alternately extending from consecutive rows connect the rows together at hinge joints 18 into a conveyor belt that can articulate at the hinge joints. But longitudinal gaps, or seams 20, extending through the thickness of the belt are formed between adjacent side-by-side modules in a row. The seams, which can harbor bacteria and other contaminants, can be difficult to clean. This is of particular concern in the meat and poultry industries where sanitation is important. Furthermore, there is a decrease in a belt's lateral stiffness, or beam strength, because of the presence of the seams. One way to overcome these problems is to mold a wide belt module whose lateral width is much longer than its longitudinal pitch. Although this can be done, molding wide modules that do not twist out of plane requires large, expensive mold cavities and careful control of molding parameters. And molding wide modules to a variety of widths to accommodate different demands may not be cost effective.
Thus, there is a need for wide belt modules to form easy-to-clean belts in a variety of widths.